My Heart
by LovelyBirdy
Summary: Ally has been best friend since childhood with the handsome Austin Moon. However, this friendship is tested when Austin admits he has fallen in love with a new girl, Cassidy.Wrecked with jealousy, Ally has an accident and has to have her leg amputated. While at the same time, Cassidy has a heart failure. Will Ally sacrifies her heart for Cassidy just to see her best friend happy?
1. Tree House

**It's been a while since I last wrote a fic about Austin & Ally. I hope you will like this story as much as you did with my previous stories. However this story might get a little sad in the upcoming chapters but that's a long time from now anyway. And yes I am doing this story in three parts - Childhood, ****adolescence and epilogue :) Enjoy**

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Part one – Chapter one; Tree House

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"Are you going to climb up here?" Austin asked his best friend, Ally, that was still on the ground doing only God knew what- instead of being up with him inside the tree house they had built together, approximately three years ago.

"Hold your horses!" Ally answered, rather oblivious to the fact that Austin had waited thirty minutes for her up in the tree house yet she still didn't bother to climb up.

"But Ally! You know how I get scared being alone in this tree house!"

Ally smirked and laughed. "Oh yes, I do know that. Maybe if you didn't keep pleading, I would be there with you right now."

He couldn't take it anymore (he wasn't born with patience), so he searched for whatever he could find in their tree house that could be useful for his spontaneous plan. After he finally found what he was looking for, he aimed for his best friend's little head and-

"Ouch!" Ally yelled, feeling infuriated while Austin felt proud for aiming so perfectly, too perfect.

"Austin, what was that for?" She questioned, trying to keep a straight face but to no avail. Austin had done so many horrible, idiotic things to her but thanks to his cute, energetic face and her little crush on him, she couldn't resist but to forgive him every time.

Indeed, Ally Dawson was crushing on her best friend, Austin Moon. She believed and insisted it was just puppy love, considering she was only twelve and she wouldn't fathom what the hell love was about. She never told him though, and she didn't have any plan on doing so. Instead, she wrote all her feelings into her brown leather book. A book so secretive that she didn't let Austin (especially him, since most of her entires were about him) to touch, let alone read.

She was always known for her imaginative thinking. Austin always found her daydreaming on top of the hill nearby their houses. She left him curious, as to what could she be thinking so hard about? But of course, he would never know, until much much later. There are no doubts that she was always imagining her adulthood with Austin – together in a relationship, married, have kids, grow old together. Those fluffy stuff.

While Ally was a sucker for love, Austin didn't really care about it. He believed that all girls are pretty and people shouldn't choose just one that they think are the prettiest. Also, all those romantic movies he had watched always consists of women and men crying their eyes out. Love was just morbid sorrow. Not that he didn't believe in it.

"For making me wait so long!" Austin answered, he couldn't hide his giggles after looking at Ally's pained reaction. "What were you doing anyway?" Once again, curiosity was taking over him.

Ally quickly shook her head and shrugged, "nothing."

He hated this, he hated that she could make him have such a big curiosity, which was growing day by day.

"You didn't have to throw that pebble. I was going to climb up anyway." She said as she punch him lightly on his chest.

"No you weren't. You were too busy doing whatever you were doing." Austin defended himself, he didn't want to feel guilty about hurting her head.

Ally's eyes suddenly went wide and Austin was in a dilemma between choosing his feeling – confusion or fear. He chose both. "What? What?!"

"Tomorrow's your thirteenth birthday! it's the day you'll turn into a teenager! And I haven't shop for your present and we still have no cake and-" Austin loved Ally's babbling. He found this habit very...interestingly annoying yet cute too.

"Ally!" He managed to stop her and laugh at her quirkiness, "you don't have to get me anything. Having you as my best friend is enough." He finished with a smile that showed off his pearly white teeth. Ally blushed at his comment. "Besides, my dad already got me something." Ally waited impatiently to know what he had gotten. "A cherry red acoustic." Austin should be the one squealing since it was his gift instead of hers but Ally was the one jumping up and down the treehouse. He was getting worried she might break the treehouse but looking at her petite body, he was relieved.

"Are you kidding me? That means you can finally show off your awesome skills? At least that's what I heard, from you." Austin nodded eagerly.

"Hey, maybe we can sing a duet or something once we're rich and famous." His face lighted up at his idea.

"Maybe." She simply said. Ally was too busy admiring his face that was full of excitement and hope.

Suddenly, Austin looked at her with a serious expression on his face and stated, "You're an awesome best friend, Ally" She met his eyes and he did the same, they were both grateful for an amazing best friend and wished for an inseparable bond between them, even though they already had that.

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**How was it? I know I am not one of those experts in writing but it will be very much appreciated if you would favourite or review my story. Oh, and if you have any ****criticisms about this story, I am all ears. Because you learn from your mistakes :) Btw, don't worry, this story won't be consisting only Austin & Ally being thirteen year olds since I mentioned I am doing it in three parts. **

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Forever and Always

**Thanks for the lovely reviews and follows and favs for this story :) Since I am still on my summer vacation, I'll try to update it each day because I don't want to keep you lovely people waiting! Oh yeah, this story is focused only on Austin & Ally's friendship (and Austin's relationship with Cassidy soon) so Trish and Dez won't be in this story unfortunately... **

**Anyway, enjoy reading :D**

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Chapter Two; Forever and Always

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Ally was sitting relaxingly on top of the hill behind her house, watching the sunrise. She loved coming out here everyday to see how the sky was sometimes a mix of purple and orange or blue and yellow. She was just very grateful to live far away from the metropolitan where the city lights would ruin the beauty of the sky and the pollution ruining the atmosphere. Ally was so deep into her thoughts that she hadn't realized someone was watching her, potentially planning something silly.

He tiptoed very quietly until he was right behind her, and slowly making his hands behind her just slightly above her waists, he kept moving closer, inches by inches until he was finally tickling her.

Ally let out a swift gasp and laughed, rather painfully from the tickle Austin had given her. "Austin!" She growled whilst punching him on his chest – it was a common thing to do so every time he pisses her off. "I hate you so- hey, what are you doing so early in the morning?" Ally was utterly confused. Austin never _ever _wake up earlier than ten a.m and this kind of occasion was rare -no- never had happened before. Ally never thought she would live to see this day.

"I thought you'd be impressed with me waking up early." Austin sighed, folding his arms closely to his chest while pouting. Ally chuckled for a moment before looking back up, watching the clouds forming different shapes. He did the same.

"You're right, the sky is beautiful in the morning." He said, not looking back down. Ally only nodded in agreement.

"So tell me again why you decided to wake up so early today." She demanded an answer again, still not believing her own best friend.

"Is it wrong to wake up in the morning just to watch the clouds?" Austin asked back which caused Ally to scoffed playfully. "Yeah, because you SO love cloud watching." Ally said sarcastically. He only smile sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck.

"I woke up early today because I wanted to catch you watch the sunrise so that I could give you this." Austin confessed, finally showing what he had hidden behind him which Ally hadn't noticed. It was a round tiara – not those metallic sparkly ones – but it was made of twigs with white lilies. She gasped looking at the beautiful thing and she couldn't believe her eyes. She blinked a few times until she managed to find the words to say to her best friend.

"Wha- what...is this for me?" Ally asked, looking into his eyes. Austin smiled from ear to ear and nodded. "Yeah, I made this for you." He said as he put the tiara above her head, he noted how prettier it looks together with Ally's brown hair.

"Why?" She questioned again.

"Because you're an awesome best friend and nobody can replace you." Austin said as he smiled to her. Ally remembered he said the exact same thing the day before his thirteenth birthday, which was two years ago. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach just jumping up and down.

"Thank you." She simply said and frankly, she didn't know what else to say. She was too loss in words.

Austin laid down on the soft, warm grass and patted the spot next to him, motioning Ally to lay down with him, which she gladly accept.

"I didn't get you anything." Ally spoke, guiltily.

Austin shook his head, "you don't need to, Als. The best gift you've given me is being there for me." She turned her head to face him and they looked at each other and smiled grinningly. "But I still hate you for tickling me earlier." She stated as he held his arms in the air in surrender.

They continued laying down whilst watching the clouds; which Austin found slightly less boring if you're with your best friend. "Hey, that one looks like the tiara I made you!" Austin pointed to the cloud he was referring to. "Yeah, not bad for a beginner. Speaking of which, how did you manage to make this?" Ally asked, pointing to the tiara on her head.

"What can I say? I am just that creative." He said conceitedly and flick his hair to the side to add effect.

"Your mum helped you." Ally stated rather than asking while raising her eyebrows. "Maybe." He confessed sheepishly.

They laid down for who knows how long, just watching the clouds and chatting until it was getting hotter and hotter, since the sun was up higher than it was before. So Ally suggested that maybe they should go home and finish their unfinished homework.

"They are due next week!" Austin told Ally. He would rather be anywhere else than do his homework that was pilling up in his room.

"Don't cry to me next week asking me for help for your unfinished business then." Ally said as she was about to stand up from her lying position. He looked worried for a moment before deciding to follow her home.

They were halfway down the hill when Austin stopped and grabbed Ally's wrist so she could do the same.

"Ally, promise me something." He said with a serious look on his face, which in his case was quite odd and uncharacteristic. "Anything." Ally answered.

"Promise me that no matter what happens as we grow older and maturer, we will still stay best friends forever." Declared Austin and he held up his pinky waiting for Ally's answer. She held her pinky the same height as his and intertwined them together.

"Forever and always." She promised.

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**This is the end of Part One! Just a little information, Part Two will be the longest because it is where all the drama and romance will happen but I can't say how long it'll be though. **

**Thanks for reading :D **


	3. It Was Like Love At First Sight

**Hey, how are you lovely people out there? Thanks for the awesome reviews, I know they're not much but I am still very grateful :)**

**Enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think :D**

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Part Two – Chapter 3; It Was Like Love At First Sight

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Austin was staring blankly at his chemistry homework for the past hour, not knowing any of the answers to the questions on the sheet. His best friend, Ally, would've helped him but she was busy giving her neighbour a piano lesson. (Did he mention how great of a piano player she was?) That was when he decided to go to the library to get a chemistry book suitable for his particular chemistry unit.

He felt weird going to the library. He went in there once – because of Ally's nagging and pleading- and all he did was take a nap. It wasn't because he couldn't read but...reading was Ally's thing, not his. Not to mention how the library had such a lack of attractive girls (blame his teenage hormones). It was not a surprise that he got lost several times trying to find the building.

When he finally reached the place, he went straight to the science section and started looking for the chemistry book he needed. Austin spend about thirty minutes until he finally found the book he was looking for. He opened the book, intending to read it but quickly snap it close. He hated chemistry. It always has complicated equations and super difficult chemicals. Don't get him started on how much hatred he had towards the periodic table. That was one of the reason why Ally was his best friend. She was there to get him through all this. If he didn't have her, he might've failed chemistry in no time.

He was too busy looking at his confusing chemistry book when he hadn't realized that someone was walking in the opposite direction as him. That was when they bumped and books they had carried fell onto the library floor.

"I am so sorry, here let me help." Apologized Austin as he bend down meaning to take their books and was about to return the book that had belong to the other person. He glanced up to have a good look at the person in front of him and had to blink several times until he was sure he wasn't looking at an actual angel.

She had long blonde-brownish hair that went to her chest nicely and sparkly blue eyes that Austin couldn't stop looking at. She was taller than Ally but no taller than the boy staring at her in awe.

She smiled warmly at him. "No worries. Thanks." She took the book that Austin was still holding with her delicate hand and walked passed him who finally went back from being love struck and quickly catch up to the girl. "Hey, wait!" He called.

The girl turned around and smiled again at him. "I-I am Austin." He stuttered, obviously anxious. He just thought the girl was extremely pretty. "I am Cassidy." She introduced herself as he scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Uhh, I never seen you around." He managed to say. Cassidy raised her eyebrows, "I come to the library almost everyday. It's you who I never saw around before." She pointed at him. He only let out a sheepish laugh before asking, hoping to himself he wasn't being too forward.

"Where do you live? Can I have your phone number?"

Cassidy giggled at his nervousness, "Sure." She took out a small paper out of her handbag and wrote possibly her phone number and gave it to him and Austin defiantly noticed her soft hand brushed his and the electricity passing through him. "Oh, and I live right across the street. The white house over there." She pointed a house out the window.

Austin nodded silently just admiring her appearance when Cassidy herself brought him back to reality.

"I have to go. I'll see you around Austin." She waved goodbye and smiled, which caused Austin's heart to melt like butter on a frying pan.

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Ally loved her flowers she had planted earlier this summer in her garden (with Austin's help, of course). It had turned out so beautiful and colourful. There were roses, sunflowers and Ally's all time favourite were the lilies. It reminded her of Austin and how he gave her that tiara when she was fourteen. She still kept it, even at the age of sixteen. She was happily watering her flowers when a familiar blonde speed-walked towards her.

"Hey Ally. Today is such a beautiful day!" He spoke in a singsong manner. Austin hugged his best friend tightly which made her confused and butterflies were roaming in her stomach insanely.

"Whoa whoa whoa," she began whilst reluctantly trying to get away from his deadly grip, "What's up with you? I thought you were peacefully doing your homework." Ally continued to water her plants while Austin was figuring out how to tell her the story.

"Well, thanks to that homework. I had to go to the library and-" But he was cut off by a surprised Ally. "Wait, you went to the library?!" She couldn't believe it. First, he woke up early and now the library?

He grabbed her by the shoulder. "Focus."

"Sorry." She gestured with her hands that meant _go on._ "Then I met this beautiful girl named Cassidy and now I have her phone number and address. Woohoo!" As Austin finished, Ally felt a weird feeling at the pit of her stomach that she wasn't familiar with. She shook it off.

"Cassidy, huh?" She said, not taking her eyes off her flowers. Ally couldn't be happier to see her best friend so content but there was that feeling that she didn't like.

"Yeah, she is gor-ge-ous. She's just so my type. My dream girl." He sighed dreamily.

"Your type?" Ally raised her eyebrows.

"Pretty, smart and she has an angelic laugh and a beautiful smile." Austin still had that dreamy look on his face which Ally found slightly infuriating and adorable at the same time. He had grown into a much attractive boy over these years. But how could he like someone who he just met vaguely?

"She may be your type but I am just not sure that you're _her _type." She shrugged as Austin's lips curved into a frown, before he could say anything, Ally sprayed him the water she had used for her flowers. Austin shrieked like a baby as she laughed so hard at his shocked reaction and his now, wet attire.

"Funny Als." He grumbled. Quickly, Austin took the water pipe she used to spray him away from her and began to spray her. She screamed albeit her laugh didn't stop. "Now this is funny!" He chuckled as Ally tried to get the pipe from his hand but failed. They were both running around in her garden, wet and laughing nonstop plus the playful screaming. Water were splashing everywhere as if it was raining.

Completely unaware of her surroundings caused by her uncontrollable laugh, Ally slipped to the ground, from a mud she had not noticed. This only caused Austin to laugh harder. She pouted and inwardly groaned. Ally put her hands up, meaning for a help from her best friend. He gladly took her hand and was meaning to pull her up but instead, she pulled him down and he ended up on the ground with her too, still cracking up.

Although, even when they were having fun and laughing like little kids, Ally couldn't shake the unwanted jealous feeling in her stomach that was now trying to find her way to her heart. To possibly break it.

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**There. How was this chapter? I hope I made the lovestruck Austin quite well considering how in Diners & Daters, he liked her from the moment he saw her so yeah...**

**For the record, Ally does indeed like Austin but she still needs to sort her feelings out, but dont worry, it will be sorted out soon :) Thanks again for reading and hopefully you guys will review even if they are criticisms ~ **


	4. Jealousy Taking Over

**Hello :D There really isn't much to say except for thanking you guys for the awesome reviews, I don't get a lot of reviews but they never fail to make me smile :) Enjoy chapter 4 ~**

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Chapter 4; Jealousy Taking Over

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Ally woke up feeling content that morning. Austin had promised to take her buy new seeds for their garden. She couldn't be more excited that she even woke up before her irritating alarm ring.

She got up, took a nice warm shower (Ally took her time since she knew well enough that Austin wouldn't be awake by now – unless he decided to be weird) then got dressed in a simple, very Ally-liked outfit; a floral skirt with a white blouse. Ally was brushing her hair delicately when she looked at the wall beside her mirror.

The wall was full of photos of her and her best friend, Austin. They weren't framed since she wasn't bothered but she simply taped them to the wall and she admitted, the photos looked nicer like that. The photos were so nostalgic, it reminded her that nothing had really changed; their friendship had stayed strong and unbreakable.

Her eyes scrolled to each one of the photos. One was a picture of them building the tree house when they were ten, Austin was still the same height as Ally at that time. Then the next picture was a self-portrait of them two, Austin grinning widely and Ally wearing the tiara he gave her. She smiled remembering those days. There were more silly photos of them but then Ally's eyes stopped scrolling and focused on one photo that was at the end of the wall, it was the last picture they had taken together; it was another self-portrait of them, but this time on the hill behind their houses, they were lying on the grass and Austin had his tongue sticking out while Ally was smiling, titling her head slightly. The photo was taken this year, when they were sixteen. She noticed how Austin looked very handsome there, even if his pose was a little silly.

Ally snapped out of her thoughts and jogged downstairs to take a banana for breakfast and kissed her mother goodbye. Austin's house was right next to hers so she could really take her time.

She knocked on the door patiently until it opened revealing the one and only, Mrs. Moon. "Good morning, Ally."

"Morning Mimi." Ally greeted back. Austin and Ally were best friends since forever that it wasn't awkward anymore to call his mother by her name.

"Oh, Austin's still getting ready, come inside and wait. He can be such a girl sometimes when he gets ready." Mimi told Ally, which caused her to giggle.

The house was minimalist. It had creamy walls, just like her home and a few framed pictures of their family in their living room. A few metres was their small, clean kitchen and then the stairs that leaded upstairs where two bedrooms were; Austin's and his parents'. Ally took a seat on the sofa in the living room waiting for Austin.

Suddenly, Austin burst into the living room completely oblivious to the fact that he was only wearing his jeans or in other words; shirtless. "Mummmmm, where's my navy blue shirt?" As soon as he asked, only then he noticed that Ally was in the room. "Oh, hey Ally."

Ally had seen Austin shirtless a couple of times before when they were about nine or ten. But this time it was different. Back in those days, he didn't have the muscular body like he had now. Completely aware now that Ally was staring at his fine abs, he decided to go with it. Austin purposely stretched and went over to hug her.

She couldn't breathe, not only because he was deadly hugging her, but the fact that has was shirtless doing it. Austin could feel her heartbeat speeding up and he was enjoying it quite well. She shook her head to clear her unhealthy thoughts. "Uhh..." She began, still trying to clear her thoughts and trying to look away from his built body.

"Isn't today so great Ally?" He asked her, still stretching because he loved the way Ally was staring at him.

"Uhh...fine. Just fine." She managed to answer, still stuttering a bit.

Austin took a quick look at his living room and finally found his shirt. He was walking towards the stairs when he turned around to look at Ally who was now back on Earth. "Like what you see Ally?" smirked Austin as he winked at her. Ally held her breath when he had winked but swiftly rolled her eyes at her best friend's conceited act.

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"Which one should I buy? The pink roses or the blue ones?" Ally asked, confused with all the pretty colours of the flowers.

"Well, the pink one is cute, it brings the whole garden we have together but the blue one is also very pretty and-" he stopped, realizing how girly his reply sounded. "I sound like a girl."

Ally laughed out loud at her best friend's stupid realization, "that's what you get for picking a girl as your best friend."

"That's okay because you are the best best friend anyone can have." Ally blushed at his comment and her cheeks were competing against the pink roses. She looked down to hide it, hoping that Austin wouldn't see.

They continued roaming the shop for seeds and once in a while they would crack a joke and have people at the shop looking at them as if they were mental and should be sent to a nuthouse and Ally would ask him suggestions on which seeds to buy.

All of a sudden, Austin saw a familiar blonde-brownish lock of hair from the corner of his eye and nervousness was starting to get to him and adrenaline was flowing through his veins. He started to hyperventilate a little bit too.

"Austin...are you okay?" Ally was worried. She knew Austin had a bad case of asthma but why did he have to have it now when they were shopping? "Is it asthma?" She was panicking now.

Austin shook his head rapidly and vaguely said, "Cassidy."

"What?" She titled her head to the side, not fathoming what he uttered.

"It's Cassidy. She's here!" He whisper-shouted as he pointed to the corner of the shop. Ally turned around and look for the person Austin was referring to.

She felt it again. That feeling at the pit of her stomach. The feeling she wished would just disappear somewhere far, like Antarctica. _Cassidy is pretty, _Ally thought.

Austin grabbed Ally's wrist and drag her to where Cassidy was. She was looking at the pink roses Ally saw earlier. Cassidy had a small basket in her hand where there were plenty of other flowers, even some Ally couldn't recognize.

"Hey Cassidy!" Austin greeted enthusiastically, a little too enthusiastic. Cassidy turned her head toward him and suddenly perked up when she saw who had greeted her. "Hello." She looked over to Ally who was beside Austin and smiled. "Who's this?" She questioned, referring to Ally.

"Uhh, this is...ahh.." Austin began, the anxiety obviously taking over him that he couldn't say his best friend's name. "Ally." She finished for him as she gave her hand for Cassidy to shake which she gladly accept.

"I am Cassidy." She introduced herself.

"Oh I know." Ally reassured her which caused Cassidy to raised her eyebrows in confusion. "He might have mentioned you once or twice."_or 38 times, _she thought. She had been counting. Cassidy only nodded like she understood.

Austin and Cassidy began making conversation and Ally started to feel awkward so she excused herself to go and look for more seeds.

But really, she couldn't stand to see Austin look so...love struck. Yes, as a best friend, she should be happy for him that he was happy. Especially since Austin kept on telling her about how awesome of a best friend she was, she felt as if it was her duty to support him. But why couldn't she?

Ally tried to focus at the seeds and the seeds only but she couldn't help to look over her shoulder and see what was happening between Austin and Cassidy. Every time she looked, the feeling in her stomach grew stronger and stronger. She ignored it once or twice but it wouldn't go away.

She could see how much Austin really liked Cassidy. Because really, he never thought of a girl and talk about her for this long. He would simply comment at how cute the girl was, but he would never bring her up afterwards. Of course, he had plenty of girls going gaga over him for his good looks – which Ally found extremely annoying – but he had never take any of them seriously. He had never had a girlfriend before and since this was the first time Austin actually liked a girl - even for a very short time of introduction - she needed to support him, even if it suffered her from the inside.

After what felt like hours of her waiting for him to finish having that conversation with Cassidy, they were finally done. Ally had two big bags of seeds which Austin had helped to carry just one (because _sharing is caring _he said).

They were walking home on the pavement when Ally's curiosity spoke for itself. "So...what did you guys talk about?" Ally asked him, she didn't want to sound like she wanted to get into his business but she was his best friend after all, he wouldn't mind.

"Just the usual, you know. The weather, the game I _didn't _see last night and something about a date." He replied dreamily. Ally stopped pacing and faced him. "A date?" He nodded grinningly.

There was a big lump of disappointment in her throat that she swallowed.

"Whe-when?" She asked again, hoping the disappointment wouldn't show in her voice, but unfortunately Austin noticed.

"You okay Ally?" He sounded genuinely worried. Ally breathed, "Yeah."

The rest of the way home was filled with Austin talking about the date he was going to have tomorrow. She tried to listen but she couldn't. Ally could feel her body shaking, not just from the cold air around her but from all the feelings she felt; disappointment, anger and sadness. The real heart stabber came from his next question.

"Will you help me for this date, Ally?"

She knew he would ask her that, because she was his best friend and what kind of a friend would she be if she didn't help him for the date he was so excited for?

Ally faked a smile, "Of course." She managed to say, ignoring the pain she felt as soon as the words leave her mouth.

She was happy, genuinely happy for him for finally having a date with the girl of his dreams. But somewhere deep down, there was a part of her that wished the date wouldn't go well.

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**Chapter four done! Okay, I am not sure if Austin has asthma but I am just making things up to make it juicier really. **

**Thanks for reading and keep waiting for my upcoming chapters :D **


	5. First Date and First Heartbreak

**I have to admit, this story is the one story I love to keep writing, I couldn't stop. I don't know, I guess it's just all these ideas in my mind and I need to get it written before I lose it. **

**Thanks again for the amazing reviews, I read them over and over again and they put a smile on my face :)**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter. Happy reading ~**

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Chapter 5; First Date and First Heartbreak

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Excitement woke him up earlier than he intended. He was anxious after all, he couldn't even sleep last night making up scenarios for his date with Cassidy.

Austin jumped out of bed to take a quick warm shower and when he was done, he put on a blue shirt and jeans with metal chains dangling on its side. He went downstairs and smelled the beautiful aroma of his mum's pancakes.

He took about ten slices of pancakes and put them in a stack and began eating it so fast, faster than anyone could say the word "Pneumonoultramicroscopicsili covolcanoconiosis"; the longest English word.

After eating the delicious breakfast, he ran straight over to Ally's house. Austin didn't even bother to knock on the door since it was already open. Her house was like Austin's second home, they were practically like family. "Good morning Penny." He greeted Ally's mother who was drinking coffee whilst reading the morning newspaper. She greeted back and motioned him to go upstairs with her eyes.

He expected Ally to be awake by now as he looked at his wrist watch. But what he saw when he opened her door was not what he anticipated.

Ally was sleeping peacefully in her bed with her blanket covering her whole body but her face. Austin found this somewhat amusing and cute. But odd at the same time considering he had never seen Ally still sleeping when he was already awake. Then an idea struck his head.

He tiptoed quietly towards her bed and jumped onto the bed, more accurately, jumped on her. So he was on top of her as he grabbed both her shoulders and chanted the words, "Wake up Ally, wake up!"

She groaned inwardly and opened her sleepy eyes. Her vision was still blurry from the sleepiness but then it got clearer and clearer to reveal a familiar hazel eyes with a mischievous smile that were staring at her own brown orbs. She finally comprehended what was happening and pushed Austin off her bed that made him fell onto the floor with a loud _thud._

"Oww." he shirked while rubbing his bottom.

"What the pickles are you doing in my room?!" She was irritated but she couldn't help but laugh at his pain expression after she pushed him.

"You said you would help me with my date, so here I am!" He said excitedly.

Ally could feel her lips turning into a sparse frown. "But not right now. It's seven in the morning, Austin." She spoke as she rubbed her still sleepy eyes. "Besides your date is a dinner date, which means it's at night."

"Exactly. We have such a little time to prepare." He said, shaking his head.

* * *

"Okay how about this?" He asked her for the fifth outfit he had gotten out of his closet. She rejected it again. She motioned him to pick another outfit with her hand. Austin groaned and sighed but obeyed.

Ally was sure to herself that she didn't like the idea of this date. She didn't hate Cassidy though. What was there to hate? It was just...hurtful to watch someone you love trying to impress another girl. Ally meant it, she loved Austin. She had always did. Maybe she was only sixteen but she knew exactly what love meant. After all, she always had a crush on him ever since they were like seven, it had to grow into something more. Besides, just because she didn't want him to go on this date didn't mean she didn't want him to look good and support him.

Ally got up from her sitting position from his bed and went over to Austin's messy closet. They had spent an hour just looking and rejecting his clothes. She picked a few things and asked him to put it on. He did just as she ordered and went to his bathroom to change.

When Austin came out, he was wearing a white shirt underneath a leather jacket – after all, it was March, so it was still pretty cold - with another typical dark jeans that had the metal chain dangling. Ally couldn't help but think of how handsome he looked like that.

"Well?" He asked her, wishing that the outfit would be the perfect one. She answered with two thumbs up. Austin sighed in relief.

"You look really good Austin." Ally complimented which received a smirked from him. "I-I mean...good like...date-worthy." She said, trying to hide the embarrassing comment she uttered previously. Austin shrugged as if it didn't matter.

"I really hope Cassidy like my outfit, because I really like her. I can't stop thinking about her." He wished. Ally looked down, she didn't want Austin to see the disappointment in her eyes but he noticed. "Hey, Ally, you alright?" He asked, lifting her chin up so she was face to face with him. "Yeah I am fine, just still a little sleepy." Ally assured him, chuckling slightly.

Austin paced a few metres towards his mirror and took a good look at himself. After about thirty seconds of admiring himself, he turned around to look at Ally who smiled at him.

"Thanks for helping me out, Ally. You're awesome." He thanked her as he walked over to her and embraced her as she returned the gesture. Ally loved all his hugs, they were always so meaningful to her even when there wasn't any reason to why he has hugged her at all. She felt butterflies in her stomach dancing.

"Well go have fun on your date." Ally said, waving goodbye with her hand as she walked to his door. Just as she was about to open the door, she turned around to face him. "You know, she's a lucky girl." She smiled at Austin who was beaming at her comment. He couldn't have a better best friend.

* * *

Austin rubbed his sweaty hands a couple of times, nervous that there was only twenty minutes left until his date started. He was waiting in Melody Diner for Cassidy to show up. She wasn't late or anything, it was just him, wanting to get there extra early to make sure everything would go well.

Finally he saw her and the first thing that popped into his mind was the word _beautiful_. Cassidy was wearing a simple red dress that went down to her knees and her face had a light makeup. Austin got up and pulled her chair opposite him so that she could sit down. He had noticed that was how every guy acted when they were on dates in movies. It was a gentleman thing to do.

"You look really pretty tonight, Cassidy...NOT that you don't look pretty on a daily basis, no. I meant that you look prettier tonight. No I-"

"Thank you Austin and I understand what you mean." Cassidy assured him, cutting his babbling that she thought was actually cute.

They ordered their food after chatting lightly. Austin had ordered chicken burger and a soda while Cassidy ordered a plate of spaghetti and a glass of water.

"So Cassidy, do you like music?" Austin asked, he wanted to talk to Cassidy more, he just loved talking to her.

"As a matter of fact, I do. I play the piano and violin." He couldn't believe his ears. The only other person he knew who loved music as much as he did was Ally. He couldn't be happier that Cassidy liked music too. "And I also sing." She added which received an excited _Me too _from Austin.

They continued talking, as they talk, they got to know each other more and more and the attraction between them grew stronger. Both Austin and Cassidy hadn't even noticed the food had arrived to their table since they were enjoying their conversation so much.

They were talking about a whole bunch of things and finally reached the topic Austin always loved to talk about.

"I really want to make it big in the music industry, you know. Ally writes songs so maybe she could be a songwriter and then once I get famous, I could be known worldwide like Elvis Presley or John Lennon or even the Beatles." Austin took a deep breath and took a sip of his soda after talking so much. "What do you want to be later in life?" He asked Cassidy.

Cassidy dropped her fork on her plate of spaghetti making a _clank _sound, and instead of answering, she looked away. "Can we please just change the topic?" Austin nodded at her question but couldn't shake the curiosity after her quick change of attitude.

Austin and Cassidy enjoyed their date like it was the time of their lives, he even managed to forget Cassidy's previous, sudden breakdown.

After finishing their meal, Cassidy reached out her hand to put it on top of Austin's soft hand that was on the other side of the table. He suddenly forgot how to breathe.

"Thank you so much for this date, Austin. I had never been on a date where the guy is so funny and so authentic. Like yourself." She thanked him, looking straight into his eyes. He pulled his hand that was underneath hers and put it on top so now it was her hand that was underneath his and said, "You're welcome."

He paid the bill and they walked out the diner together, hand in hand, and went over to Cassidy's car.

"You need a ride?" She offered him and he shook his head as an answer. "I live nearby. I'll just walk home."

He finally let go of her hand, reluctantly, and wished her a good night. "Thanks again for a lovely night Austin." She said as she leaned in to kiss his cheek. His breath hitched as he touched his cheek, the spot where she had kissed him. His face quickly turned red like the traffic light nearby. He watched her car drove by.

"I can't wait to tell Ally about this." He said to himself.

* * *

Ally was sitting on the piano bench whilst looking at her book blankly. She loved writing songs and feelings in her brown leather book but surprisingly, she wasn't feeling it that night. The page in front of her remained empty.

She closed her book and started playing the random piano keys from the bench she was sitting on. But the way she played the keys was different. Usually when she played, even randomly, it always came out gracefully but this time, it was just bad. That was when she realized she was hitting the keys quite hard because of all the anger and sadness she was letting out of her system.

She wasn't angry at Austin. He had done nothing wrong. She was angry at herself for having feelings for her best friend. But really, there wasn't any rule in the _Best Friend Guide _book that said "You can't fall in love with your best friend." She wished that the rule actually existed so she wouldn't feel the way she felt.

She was sad because well, while she was in love with him, he had fallen with another girl who suited his category of "Austin's dream girl." She was just his best friend, it was meaningful of course, but it wasn't just once or twice that she had wished they could be something...more. He didn't think of her as more than a best friend and sometimes, it stunk.

Before she knew it, tears were flooding in her eyes, making them look glassy. After one blink, tears were streaming down her face while she sobbed quietly. Tears were falling down from her face to the piano keys.

Her phone suddenly rang and she quickly wiped her face that was wet from the tears and saw the caller ID; _Austin. _She was debating with herself whether she should answer him or not. He knew she wouldn't be sleeping by now and that would make him worry if she didn't answer his call.

"Hello?" Ally's voice was still strained from her crying.

"_Ally? Were you sleeping? Your voice sounds...weird" _Austin was worried, she could tell but she couldn't let him know she had been crying.

"I am fine, just a little tired that's all." She lied. She really hoped that was convincing enough.

"_You sure?_" he asked again. Ally nodded until she realized she was talking on the phone. "Yeah."

"_Anyway, the date was amazing! I can't thank you enough for helping me. Oh, and she kissed me!_" As soon as he said it, she felt her heart imperceptibly cracking. "_Well, not on the lips. Just on the cheek but who cares that still counts as a kiss right?" _

Both Austin and Ally never had their first kiss since they never actually had a relationship before, but somehow Ally knew Cassidy would be his first kiss soon.

"That's great, Austin. Listen, I am really tired so I'll just see you tomorrow, okay?" She tried to hide her disappointment in her voice that Austin noticed. "_Ally wait-_" But she was fast enough to end the call before he could say anything else. She didn't want to deal with any of his relationship with Cassidy at the moment.

Ally walked over to her bed, tears streaming on her face again and buried herself in her warm blanket and cry until she finally fell asleep.

* * *

**Okay, so there might be a longer word than Pneumonoultramicroscopicsili covolcanoconiosis but I found this in wikipedia. It took me a while to pronounce it though, and I still can't! **

**Did you enjoy reading this chapter? Tell me what you think :D Thanks **


	6. Pizzas and Pancakes

**Thanks for the reviews you guys wrote for me for my last chapter! They surely mean a lot :D Umm, okay, I know the title is kind of lame and weird but I just didn't know what to name this chapter haha. **

**Enjoy ~**

* * *

Chapter 6; Pizzas and Pancakes

* * *

Ally carefully climbed up the stairs that would lead to their tree house. It was a simple place really. A four sided tree house with only three walls; so their legs could be dangling out and to also view the beautiful scenery of their tranquil neighbourhood. They had to be extra careful though.

She sat with her legs hanging over the open side and swinging her legs back and forth. She loved coming out here. It was like she could see the whole world from here. The hills, the neighbourhood and the shops. Ally was so lost in her thought until she saw a familiar, certain boy climbing up to join her.

When Austin finally reached the tree house, he took a seat next to her, doing the same gesture as she did (swinging his legs) and Ally realized he had brought his cherry red guitar with him. It had been a while since they had done something musical together.

"Gooood morning, Ally." He grinned as he swung his hand over her shoulders which send her chills. "Good morning." She replied, smiling slightly. She turned her head to face him. Only then his smile turned into a frown in no time.

"What happened, Ally? Were you crying?" He asked, shocked. He hated it when she cried. It made him want to cry too. The only time he had seen her cry was when her dad died from a serious illness and he wished to never see her cry again. It pained him.

He touched her swollen eyes to feel them. "Um, I was watching a chick flick last night and couldn't control myself." Ally lied. She loathed lying to him but she wasn't ready to tell him the real reason why she had been crying. "Is that why you sound like you've been crying when I called you?" She nodded in response. Austin looked unconvinced but decided not to pry.

He began strumming his guitar with random notes as she was just watching him in awe. Suddenly, he stopped to look at her. "You know, we haven't sang together in a while."

"Indeed." Ally agreed.

"Why don't we now? I have my guitar with me." He said shrugging his shoulders.

"Unfortunately, I don't have my songbook with me." Ally sighed with a frown on her face.

"So? We could just come up with lyrics. You usually do it with ease." She was about to complain but decided to go with it anyway.

Austin cleared his throat before strumming his guitar once again. "_I haven't ate breakfast..._" he sang in a tune. "_because mum didn't make pancakes_" Ally chuckled a little and he was glad she was smiling again so he continued. "_And now I want pizza and pancakes or maybe some peanuts_" He sang the 'pea' in peanuts extendedly.

Ally was laughing then and he was happy to hear it. "Does all your favourite foods start with the letter P?" She interrogated him. "Hey, yours stars with a P too, pickles."

He extended his hand to give the guitar to her meaning it was her turn to come up with some silly lyrics. She was hesitant to accept it but finally gave in. She cleared her throat as well.

"_I am tooo in the mood of pizza and maybe with some pickles and Parmesan cheese..._" She sang as she continued to list all the foods that started with the letter P. At the end, they were both dancing in the tree house while singing random, silly lyrics and they were laughing like there was no tomorrow.

After they were exhausted, they were back in their sitting position. Ally was breathing heavily from all the dancing – in her sake, dancing horribly. She was just so happy that she had forgotten about her breakdown last night. But of course, happiness couldn't last forever.

"What do you think I should do for my second date with Cassidy?" He asked her, after all, she was a girl so maybe she might know what Cassidy wanted. Ally's heart sank. _A second date?_ She thought. But he was her best friend, she couldn't not help him.

"Well, what does she like?"

"Music." He answered, remembering what Cassidy had told him the night they were on their date.

Ally thought to herself. She had always imagined her dream date (with Austin) and it had music involved. But could she be willing to give details about _her _dream date to Austin that he would plan for another girl?

"You..." She began, she was going to regret this, "you could have a picnic on the hilltop that has the view of the city. You know, the hill near our school? Then you could sing to her or just hire someone to play music for you guys. Classical romantic songs preferably. "

His face lit up and hugged Ally so tight she couldn't breathe. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." As he let go of her, he kissed her cheek as a thank you and let out a happy sigh. The kiss might only mean to Austin as a friendly gesture of a best friend but to Ally, it surely meant a lot. Her face turned into a shade of pink.

"But don't you ever sing the pizza song to her. Ever." She warned him. Austin nodded his head in understanding.

"Speaking of pizza, do you want to get some? We could go to Pizza ol' Pete." He suggested. Besides, his stomach was growling as if they were demanding for food.

"I'd love to." Ally accepted his offer and started to climb down before Austin.

Ally had come down ten minutes before Austin and he was not even down yet."Come on Austin, come down. It's not that scary." She told him. He had always been scared to come down but had no problem coming up. Sometimes she wondered how she got such a weird best friend.

"Okay, okay coming." Austin started coming down, very carefully and slowly. It was just luck that Ally was patient unlike himself.

Unexpectedly, when he was almost near the ground, he had slipped and fell to the ground. His fall shouldn't have hurt much. Ally started laughing because even she managed to climbed down and he, who had muscular body and was a sport's fan, couldn't. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear that was blocking her view of Austin. She took a look of him and expect some crying. But instead, Austin's eyelids were closed and he didn't move from his sleeping position. He had fainted.

Panicking, she knelt to his level on the ground and shook him like he had done the previous day when he wanted to wake her up. But nothing. No movement. "Austin, wake up. Wake up." Ally kept shaking him, even violently but he did not even move a single muscle. "Austin, it's not funny."

She didn't like the idea that struck her mind but it was possibly the only way to make him conscious again. Ally opened his mouth with her hand and she was ready to give him CPR or mouth-to-mouth. She was shaking a little. As her lips were inches away from his, a hand flew up to cover her mouth. A second later, she heard laughter.

"You're so easy to trick,Ally" He said between his laughs. Austin put his hand to his stomach, as if it hurt him so much to laugh. She couldn't believe him and she started punching his arm, chest and everywhere she could think of.

"_HOW DARE YOU SCARE ME LIKE THAT?!_" She shouted at him, still punching his chest. He started running, to get away from her. Ally chased after him until they couldn't run anymore.

They were both breathing heavily while putting their hands on their stomach that had hurt from running so much, and finally she spoke, still with annoyance in her voice. "You scare me Austin. I really thought something had happened to you." As soon as she said those words, Austin felt bad for playing her like that. She had cared so much for him. "You're right I am sorry." Guilt evident in his face.

Ally nodded as forgiveness. "It's just...I don't want anything to happen to you. I care about you. You know that." He looked at her, smiling from what she had said. "I know, I just thought it would be funny to see you in panic mode." She punch him lightly on his chest and rolled her eyes.

"Come on, let's go eat some Hawaiian pizza." He extended his hand for Ally to take.

* * *

They were walking on the pavement towards Pizza ol' Pete when Austin stopped midway. Ally raised her eyebrow in confusion. "I left my wallet at home."

"That's okay Austin, I have mine." She assured him. It wasn't a long way back to his home though. "Yeah, but my treat. For scaring you earlier." She rolled her eyes again at her best friend but agreed anyway.

When they finally reached his house, a red sedan was parked in front of the place. Austin was sure he had seen the car before, but vaguely he presumed.

"Hi Austin and Ally." A voice greeted them. They turned to the car and saw a girl they were both too familiar with. Cassidy.

"Hi!" He walked over to her. "What're you doing here? And how do you know where I live?" He asked in confusion. But he was just too happy to see her at the moment. Ally however, hadn't said a word after seeing her.

"I was driving home last night and passed here when I saw you entering the house." Cassidy explained and received an _oh I get it_ from Austin. "And, I wanted to ask you if you're busy today. We could go somewhere." She looked over to Ally who was behind beside Austin, remaining silent. "Oh Ally, you can come too." She offered with a genuine smile that made Austin's head spin.

Ally had two excuses to decline the offer. One, Austin would want to spend time with Cassidy alone and she didn't want to stand in his way – because she was just that nice of a person. Two, she just...couldn't.

"I-I can't. I have to do my homework. There is just so many!" She faked an excuse, shaking her head as if she didn't believe the amount of homework she had gotten.

"Are you sure?" Cassidy asked her again.

"Yeah, Ally are you sure?" Austin asked too. He would feel bad to leave Ally alone. He didn't even mind if she went with them.

Ally turned to Austin who had a worried look on his face and gave him a look that meant _Go, you can be alone with her!_ His mouth made an O shape, finally fathoming her and agreed to go with Cassidy.

She watched them leave in the red sedan and smiled as she waved. Suddenly, she could feel her phone buzzing from the skirt pocket and took it out to find a text message.

_Thank you so much :) Love you. _

Sender; Austin

She smiled at his message but she couldn't help but noticed the pained feeling in her heart. She loved the fact that she had made him happy. But then why did she feel like bursting out crying?

* * *

**I made the Pizza Ol' Pete restaurant and I apologize if the name sucks. I am just not good in making up names #ashamed**

**Oh, and the _Love you_ in Austin's text message meant in a best friend kind of way (unfortunately) and even myself wished it would mean the other way but it doesn't :( **

**Thanks so much for reading and maybe, possibly, review and favourite? :D **


	7. A Mess of Feelings

**Longest chapter yet. I don't know why but I couldn't stop writing. I hope you enjoy this chapter :) Thanks for the reviews on my previous chapter, you guys have no idea how much they mean to me :D**

**On with the chapter ~**

* * *

Chapter 7; A Mess of Feelings.

* * *

After watching them leave, Ally decided it was the best for her to just head home, there was no point eating pizza alone, without your best friend.

She went inside her two story home to find her mother washing the dishes in their small kitchen. Her mother's face brighten up as she saw Ally and it made Ally feel bad for not spending time with her that much anymore. Her mother had not taken her husband's death that well and Ally knew she missed him as days go by. "Ally, dear, mind helping me with the dishes?"

"No, of course not." She walked over to her mother with tendency and wiping the wet dishes with a kitchen cloth. They spend ten minutes in comfortable silent until her mother chose to break it. In all honesty, Ally preferred that she did not.

"Where's Austin? I thought you'd be spending time with him right about now." She looked at her daughter with curiosity in her eyes. But Ally didn't answer right away, she kept wiping the same dish she had in her hands ten minutes ago. "He's...he's busy." She conversed simply. Penny Dawson only nodded and continued with the next dirty plate.

Ally needed to talk to someone. She could usually talk to Austin about anything but since the case was about him, she had no one.

"He's on a date actually." She admitted to her mother, not taking her eyes off of the dish she was cleaning. Penny examined her daughter's sad expression with a sympathy look.

"You know, I always knew you like him." Ally looked at her mother in disbelief and was about to deny her accusation but decided there was no point hiding it anymore.

Ally cleaned her last wet plate and sat on one of their dining chairs. She breathed, "It doesn't matter." Her mother shook her head as she wiped her wet hand with a towel and sat on the chair next to her. "Of course it does. I bet he feels the same way." She smiled at her daughter.

Ally took a glimpse of her mother then look back down to examine the wooden table. "If he does, he wouldn't be on a date right now." She scoffed.

"Then change his mind." Her mother verbalized. Ally turned her head to face her mother with a puzzled look on her face. "What do you mean?" Penny sighed before explaining. "If he doesn't love the girl he's having a date with at this very moment, you can change his mind," she paused for a second, "by telling him how you feel."

Ally thought about it. "He loves her."

Her mother pursed her lips. "And how do you know that?" She questioned.

Ally looked away from her mother and replied. "I see it in his eyes. How his face lights up when he sees her, how he couldn't take the stupid smile off his face when he talks about her. His eyes full of excitement when she's around. It's love, Mum." After her daughter had explained the way Austin acted around the girl, she realized something.

"Do you love him, Ally?" Her eyes darted towards her mother who was waiting patiently for her answers. She didn't reply. "Declare your love before it's too late." She suggested as she took Ally's hand in hers and began drawing imaginary circles in the back of her hand soothingly.

Ally pulled her hand away with sorrow in her eyes. "But it _is_ too late." She sighed and got up from the wooden chair to go up to her room upstairs.

Ally slammed her door shut and went straight to her bed. She sat in the middle of the bed, hugging her knees in her chest and thought about...everything. How she first met Austin when she moved into the neighbourhood, how her father had passed away a few years later, how she first learn to write songs and how Austin had taught her how to play the guitar. And last, how she ended up falling in love with her own best friend.

As she was thinking hard about her life, her mother's words of wisdom were taunting her. _Declare your love before it's too late._ What if she did tell him how she felt before he met Cassidy, would he change his perspective towards her and end up feeling the same way?

During her deep thoughts, Austin had called her numerous times and she had decided the ignore them for the good. She knew he would ask questions about the ignorance, but she could deal with them later.

Ally was in her own world that she couldn't figure out how long it had been. She jumped out of her bed since her bottom felt numb from sitting and move over to her window that had the view of the neighbourhood and she could see Austin's house perfectly, considering it was next to hers. She realized the sun was setting down, meaning she had spent such a long time in her room, getting lost in her deep thoughts.

On spur of moment, she saw a well-known red sedan drove by and stopped in front of Austin's house. Ally was debating with herself whether she should keep watching them and maybe invade some of their privacy or close the window. She didn't decide the latter.

"Thanks for a great day, Cassidy." Austin spoke, holding her soft, delicate hand. "No problem." She send him a smile that Austin would never grow tired of.

Unexpectedly, he leaned over to kiss Cassidy on the cheek. Ally's big brown eyes went wide and she slammed her window shut, she couldn't take it anymore. Unfortunately she slammed her window a little too loud that it could be heard by the couple on the ground and startled them.

Ally knew it was just a kiss on the cheek but that didn't stop her from overreacting. She jumped onto her bed with her face hidden in her pillow and started tearing up. She made sure her sobbing was as quiet as possible. She didn't want her mother to hear her. She didn't want anyone to ask her questions about it.

A few hours later, her mother knocked on the door telling Ally that Austin was here to see her and she had to fake her best sick voice and lied to her mother. "Tell Austin I am not feeling that well." Penny did as she was told. But the statement didn't stop Austin from ringing Ally's phone, almost every hour. Ally decided she had enough and turned her phone off.

Why couldn't he just leave her alone?

* * *

The next morning, Austin woke up, feeling unsatisfied with his sleep. He couldn't sleep thinking about Ally and why she didn't want to see him and why she had rejected all his calls. Ally was being not being herself.

Austin went over to Ally's house, his head full of questions that needed answers from Ally. Only to find that Ally wasn't home. So he thought of places where Ally could be. The tree house or the hilltop.

Empty tree house was what he found when he got there. He felt happy, however, not to find her in the particular place. He didn't want to climb the scary stairs that lead up.

He sighed in relief to find Ally on the hill behind their houses, possibly cloud watching. He ran towards her and lay down next to her, watching the clouds too. She didn't greet him, she continued looking up the sky and not say a word. They stayed in an uncomfortable silence.

Austin couldn't take the silence anymore and broke the ice. "Ally?" She faced him with sadness in her eyes.

"Is everything okay?" He went straight to the questions he had been keeping in his mind. He wanted to know why his best friend was acting so strange. Ally breathed, "Yeah, of course."

He got up from his sleeping position as she did the same. They were sitting face to face. "Are you sure? " Ally nodded in response. "You know you can tell me if there's something wrong. I'll be here to listen." He confronted her in his best calm voice.

"I was just not feeling well." She finally spoke. He looked at her with desperation. "But you could've answered my call at least once, Ally. You got me worried." She was guilty. She had not mean to worry him.

Ally exhaled, "I am sorry Austin."

He took her hand, sending electricity flowing inside her. He didn't say anything, just studying her face. How her face was just so pretty and pale, yet it held so much despondency. He looked up to see her eyes, swollen like the day before. He wondered, _What's she keeping from me?_

She was blushing a tiny bit as he was studying her face. He booped her nose that send chuckles out of her mouth. She smiled at him and he was happy she was smiling again. He still knew there was something she was hiding from him but prying would not be a good option. If he pries, the smile on her face would vanish in a matter of seconds.

"I am going to ask Cassidy to go with to the hilltop for a picnic today." Austin told her.

"That's great." She said giving him two thumbs up for support.

"Well...well I have to go...set things up and everything." He excused himself, hesitant to go and leave Ally. "Okay." She simply said.

* * *

"Where are you taking me, Austin?" Cassidy asked, very curious to why he had to put the blindfold on her face.

"I told you it's a secret!" He replied mischievously.

They were finally there, and Austin couldn't get the grin off of his face. He started to open her blindfold and she gasped as her eyes open.

They were on a hilltop, with the view of the city. A picnic was set in front of her; not just a normal picnic though. A wooden table with two chairs opposite each other, a plate of strawberries and two bottles of soda and two plates of spaghetti were on the table, waiting to be eaten. Then a few metres from their table, were three people holding musical instruments. The one on the right was playing a violin, the one in the middle was playing a guitar and the last one on the left played a trumpet. They were playing a soft, romantic tune and Cassidy was admiring everything in shock and amazement.

"You did all this for me?" She asked Austin who only managed a smile. She ran over to him and hug him passionately. "Thank you." She faced him, still holding each other. They stared at one another before Austin slowly leaned in for his first kiss with Cassidy but she backed away, dodging the kiss. Which surprised him, and he knew he had that hurt expression on his face. _Had she not want to kiss me?_

He let the thought float away and sat on the wooden table. Cassidy still hadn't look at him in the eye since she dodged the kiss. A silence filled the air.

"Why did you do all this for me?" Cassidy broke the icy silence.

"Well, because you're special and because I...really like you." He said nervously, rubbing his sweaty palms.

"You think I am special?" She finally gazed up to his hazel eyes that were mesmerizing. "If I didn't think so, I wouldn't have done all this!" He motioned her to look around with his hand.

They stayed silent again but something didn't feel right. Austin had to be sure of something. "So...Cassidy, do you happen to maybe, potentially, possibly, like me back...?" He didn't want to push her into answering but he was desperate to know.

"What makes you like me?" She asked back, he could tell she was avoiding the previous question. "You're pretty, smart, you're real and honest. Frankly, what's not to like about you?" he shrugged his shoulders, proud of his reasons. She, however, did not look too pleased with his answer. He started to panic.

"You wouldn't like me if you knew the real me." She stated which caused a slight frown to appear on her date's face. "What do you mean?" He wanted answers, more than ever. It felt like everyone was keeping secrets from him. Ally, and then Cassidy.

"I..." She started to say but stop to debate with herself whether she should tell him the truth. She looked at Austin, whose face was full of innocence and confusion.

"I am sick, Austin. My heart is failing." She sighed. "I've been getting treatments for like, my whole life but my illness gets worse and worse as time goes by." Cassidy paused for a moment, " I live my life counting the days. Nobody is sure yet but I won't survive for so long." Her eyes were starting to get glassy. "I love books and music, that's why I spend most of my time in the library. My love life didn't matter to me...until I met you."

Austin stared at her who had tears streaming down her face. He hadn't said a word since she explained the truth about her. "I thought it was just a one time thing but I couldn't forget you and you did all this for me." She sniffed, "but why would you spend your time trying to please a girl who's dying?" With that, she got up and left and Austin didn't try to stop her.

He didn't stop her because he needed to think. Austin didn't even realize the three guys who played music had left. The air was filled with absence of sound.

Cassidy was sick. Did she really think that would stop him from falling for her? When you love someone, you have to love everything about them, even their insecurities.

He smiled at his own thoughts and went straight home, ready to tell his best friend everything.

* * *

**Okay, I couldn't bring myself to write a kiss about Austin & Cassidy. I just couldn't. **

**For those who didn't understand, when Ally's mother asked her if she loves him after Ally had told her about how Austin acts around Cassidy is because her mother realized that's how _Ally _acts around Austin. **

**I surely hoped you like this chapter. Until next time :D **


	8. Smile Even When Your Heart is Frowning

**Thank you thank you thanks you for the lovely reviews you guys left me. It left me speechless and joyful. I couldn't be happier. The last chapter, chapter 7 received the most reviews and I couldn't be happier :D You guys are awesome!**

**This chapter took me the longest to write and I hope you guys like it :) Oh and the name of the chapter doesn't really have anything to do with the content of the story but I didn't know what to name this chapter.**

**Enjoy ~**

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Chapter 8; Smile Even If Your Heart is Frowning.

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Ally tapped her pen on her desk, staring in the empty page of her songbook blankly. She loved writing lyrics but somehow nothing seemed to come to her mind. She hated writer's block, it was insane.

Soon enough, she heard a rhyming knock on her door. She knew who it was. He had made a weird knock that was specially made for Ally a couple of years ago.

"Hey." He addressed her. She didn't address back and just stared at him with a confused look on her face. "What?"

"Shouldn't you be on your date?" Ally asked.

Austin exhaled before speaking. "Yeah...about that..." She had a million question in her mind. Did he stood Cassidy up or the other way around? Did something happen to them? Ally hoped with all her will that he didn't hurt Cassidy.

"She had told me something quite...mind blowing." He started as he made his way towards her bed to sit as she followed. He ended up sitting on the edge of the bed. Ally didn't say anything, she just wanted to listen. "She has a heart failure, Ally."

Ally was obviously shocked, considering her expression on her face that Austin noticed. She still didn't say a word though, so he continued. "And she told me that she won't live that long and then, she just left." His lips curved into a frown and his eyes held such disappointment.

She scooted over to him and hugged him sympathetic, he returned the embrace as she rubbed his back soothingly. "I told her how I feel but I never got an answer from her. I just...I don't know what to do or think." He said in her hair, that smelled like strawberries, Austin observed.

She let go of their hug but kept holding onto his shoulders. "I am sorry." It wasn't her fault but she just needed to say it.

"But...I want to make her happy, before she – umm – you know..." He didn't need to finish because the two teenagers both knew what he meant. "Unfortunately, I have no idea how to do that."

She felt bad for Cassidy, she really did. Her condition had made Austin so sad and disappointed and she couldn't stand seeing him that way. "Spend more time with her then. Ask her to dinner, give her gifts." Ally suggested. She realized that her hands were still on Austin's shoulder and she quickly let go.

"Yeah, I am going to do just that. Thanks Ally you're awesome." He hugged her again, but this time longer than previously. She closed her eyes and sniffed his scent of fresh summer breeze. Ally didn't want to end this embrace, but nothing last forever.

"Hey, I have just the perfect gift for her. She likes books and music, doesn't she?" She got up and started looking at her shelf in the corner of her room. He was slightly confused but stayed in his sitting position on the bed. "Here it is!" She said happily, holding a book up in the air.

"_Les Miserable; The Musical_" Austin read the title of the book. "It's amazing, it's about a-" But Austin cut her off. "I don't need to know the details, Ally!" He just had to cut her off before she started babbling too much about the book that could take all night, no exaggeration intended.

"How about you call her to ask her to dinner tomorrow night while I wrap this book with a nice, pretty wrapping paper?" He nodded and took his phone out to dial Cassidy's number while walking outside the room. Before he done so, he looked over to his best friend who was busily wrapping the book and thanked God for such an amazing best friend.

She wanted to make Austin happy. It was a hard thing to look at the person you love, love someone else. But it was a harder thing to see your best friend, the one you love, sorrowful.

Austin returned into the room looking gloomier than ever and that brought a frown onto her lips. "What happened?"

He groaned inwardly and flopped down on her bed, covering his face with his hand. "She said she doesn't want to see me again. She said I should forget her." He murmured but Ally could hear everything.

Anger started boiling in her stomach. How could Cassidy make him feel like this?

"Can I sleepover at your house? I just don't want to be alone right now." He asked, still covering his face. "Of course, Austin. I'll get you your pajamas that you left when you slept over the last time."

Ally had set up a mattress on the floor for Austin to sleep on and she would sleep on her own bed, like how they always did for every sleepover they have together. It was only ten o' clock and the two best friends didn't feel at all tired so they decided to go downstairs to watch a movie.

She let him pick the movie he had wanted because she thought it would make him feel better from the whole rejection from Cassidy thing. All she wanted to see was her best friend happy again. The movie Austin had chosen was of course, his all time favourite; Zaliens 5.

He was watching the movie whilst putting his legs up so he could cuddle with himself during the scary scenes. Ally was in fact, in the kitchen making a bowl of popcorn. After she was done, she sat on the other couch. She would love to sit next to Austin but they were watching a Zalien movie, the consequences wouldn't be pretty. She would rather be safe.

When the movie finally ended, Ally couldn't be happier. She could barely watch the movie, considering how Austin kept screaming in every scene. She would never admit it out loud, but she loved it when he gets scared, she thought it was adorable.

They had flopped in their own beds but none of them could actually get some sleep. Ally stared blankly in her boring ceiling, thinking of a plan to make her best friend happy once again.

"Ally?" She was startled that Austin was calling her name, she had really thought he was already asleep. "Yeah?"

"I can't forget about her. I won't." He admitted, which send a stabbing feeling in Ally's heart. "Don't worry Austin. She'll come around." She assured him, because somehow she knew that Cassidy would.

"It's just...I never felt this way about anyone before." He sighed and Ally didn't answer. Austin thought she was probably asleep and closed his eyes for a good night sleep.

But she wasn't asleep just yet. She had a million things running through her mind. And of course, they always involved her best friend.

* * *

Ally woke up to the sound of her infuriating alarm clock and the sound of Austin's girly scream. She flew her hands up to cover her ears. "What's with you, Austin?" A hint of annoyance in her words.

"Well, I am sorry but that alarm clock of yours is just too irritating!" He said, defending himself.

She scratched her still tired eyes as she yawned. Austin on the other hand, paced lazily to the bathroom to clean up and change back to his regular clothes.

When he got back from the lavatory, he found that Ally had cleaned everything up, from the mattress to her bed. She was just too neat of a person. That was one of the things he loved about her, as a best friend. He was admiring the neatness of her room when the smell of pancakes shot up to his nose that made him feel as if he was flying his way to Ally's kitchen.

Ally was sitting in her dining table, sipping her hot chocolate – she didn't like caffeine - with a stack of pancakes in front of her. Austin loved the pancakes she made, he could eat a thousands of them and still crave more.

She finally realized he was down and got up from her chair to take a stack of pancakes for him with honey (his favourite) and a cup of hot chocolate just like hers. Ally set the plate and cup on the table as he sat down next to her.

They ate in a comfortable silence until he spoke. "What do you want to do today?" To be honest, he wasn't exactly in the mood from last night.

"Actually, I have my own plans. You can do your own stuff for today." That left Austin confused. They always do stuff together, it was like they were a part of each other, they couldn't be separated. But at the moment, he was fine with it, he really didn't have the decency to do anything.

* * *

An hour after Austin went home, she grabbed her keys and went over to the driver's seat in her old , white volkswagen beetle – she had a thing for vintage goods.

Ally was driving her way towards the library but it wasn't the place she tended to go. She was actually planning to go to a house nearby. She had gotten the address from Austin.

She stopped to examine the house. It wasn't the biggest house but it wasn't small either. It had a nice porch with a garden that was beautifully taken care of, she noted. She was beginning to get jealous of Cassidy's garden.

Doubts were crawling on her spine she walked over to the residence's porch. Ally wasn't sure if it was going to work. She didn't plan it thoroughly. She was Ally Dawson after all, she _had _to plan every single thing. But at the moment, her plan was spontaneous and uncalled for.

Cassidy was reading in a wooden bench in her porch. She looked paler than Ally remembered. Cassidy looked up from her book and smiled at her guest.

"Oh, hello, Ally. Please come inside." She had offered but Ally shook her head mannerly.

"My visit here is rather brief." She sat on the opposite bench and the air suddenly felt heavy. Ally didn't know how to start, so she just admired all the flowers that was planted beautifully.

"Did Austin send you here?" Cassidy asked, very calmly.

Ally took a deep breath, "No, I came down here with my own determination." She looked at Cassidy with sympathy, her perspective towards her had changed since the night before, in both ways; good and bad.

"Why don't you want to see him anymore?" Ally cut to the chase. She hated all these silence she seemed to be experiencing day after day.

It took Cassidy a while to answer, which made Ally much more impatient than she intended. "Because it'll hurt too much to say goodbye when..." She looked down, avoiding Ally's gaze, "when the time comes."

Ally felt some angry tears coming down and she was fighting hard for it to stay in her eyes. "But don't you think it's a better option to spend your last life, your last days with the person you love? The person who cares so much about you?" Cassidy kept looking down so she continued, "People wish they have someone who cares about them the way Austin cares about you but you're just throwing the opportunity away."

She glanced over to Cassidy whose eyes were glassy. "He was always so happy every time he talks about you." Ally said, also looking away from her. "Why do you want to break his heart this way, Cassidy?"

"I don't! But don't you think it's better for everyone if he finds someone who has a purpose in life and who's not sick like me?" Cassidy stood up, wobbling a little from the sudden movement.

"No." Ally said clearly. "He is over head heels crazy about you. He wants you to spend your last days with him, happily." Tears fell one by one down her face. "And you should consider yourself the luckiest girl in the world that you've got someone like him to feel that way about you."

With that, Ally stood up and walked over to her old car with the keys in her hand. Before she opened the car's door, she turned around to look at her with pleading eyes. "Make him happy, Cassidy. For me."

Cassidy just stood in her porch, speechless.

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**I guess this chapter is quite brief but I hope you enjoyed it. **

**Umm, about the Les Miserables; The Musical, I just picked that book randomly because I know nothing about musical books. But the book I've chosen does exist haha **

**Until next time and keep reading and reviewing :) **


	9. A Fake Boyfriend

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**There's not much to say and I really hope you like this chapter :) **

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Chapter 9; A Fake Boyfriend

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When Ally got home, she felt relieved to have that talk with Cassidy. However, she wasn't one hundred percent sure it was going to change Cassidy's mind.

She was going to enter her own home when she heard a tune being played by an acoustic.

Austin was sitting on his porch swing, guitar in hand, just playing random notes with a gloomy expression on his face.

She joined him on the swing as he kept strumming his acoustic. "Ally, I was right." She raised her eyebrows in confusion and Austin could see it, so he carried on. "About love. And how it's just morbid sorrow."

A part of her couldn't agree more, how at the moment, she was in fact in love with someone who didn't return the feelings. But the other part of her disagreed. "That's not true. Love can be a wonderful thing." She said, looking straight into his hazel eyes.

The boy scoffed, "Yeah? Tell me what's wonderful about the situation I am in." Ally hated seeing him like that. He was always the cheerful one, the one who never had tears in his eyes (except that one time when his dog died. He cried like crazy, it wasn't pretty.)

"When you saw Cassidy for the first time, wasn't that a wonderful feeling in your stomach?" Ally questioned him, who stayed silent. "When Cassidy kissed your cheek, wasn't that wonderful?" She extended her hand to reach his and held it as she rubbed the back of his hand gently. "When she holds your hand, wasn't that a wonderful spark you felt?"

Austin didn't say anything, because he knew she was right. Ally was always right about these things, it was her specialty. "Do you ever feel about someone the way I feel about her, Ally?" Her heart skipped one beat as she stopped rubbing his knuckles.

Ally stayed silent, not saying a word, her hand still on top of his. He felt bad for asking her the question, maybe she wasn't ready to tell him. He didn't mean to push her. "Yes." She finally stated.

"He's the cliché type. He's good looking, funny and can make any girl melt just by smiling." She smiled at the thought that she was describing her own best friend. "His smile is perfect and his eyes," She stopped to look at her best friend, "are the colour of honey and they are just mesmerizing."

Austin nodded at her vague descriptions of the guy Ally liked, but he could feel different emotions inside him. He couldn't identify them. "Why didn't you tell me about him?" He asked, curious then. She just shrugged like it didn't matter. _Why did she hide this from me?_

All of the sudden, Austin's phone made a ringing tone meaning he had gotten a call. He took the phone out of his pocket as Ally grabbed his guitar to play it herself while waiting for Austin to talk to whoever called him.

"Uh, hello?"

Ally strummed a tune that she had been humming the past few days, not sure how she got it. She was so into her music until Austin spoke again. "Oh, hi Cassidy." She stopped in her tracks and decided to listen to what he had to say to the girl on the phone.

He continued talking to Cassidy on the phone, with the occasional nods, "yes", hums and "uh huh." As he kept talking, a smile crept onto his lips and it grew bigger and bigger.

"Thanks Cassidy. So much. I'll see you later." He finally said his goodbye and when he ended the call, he punched the air with his fist. "Yes!"

Ally laughed and smiled at her best friend's sudden happiness. "What happened?"

He cleared his throat before saying anything. "She said she wants to see me again and she apologized for what she said last night!" Austin jumped off the porch swing and started doing a happy dance. Ally beamed at her best friend but looked down quickly to hide the sadness that was slowly creeping up towards her face.

"And she agreed for a dinner tonight. You didn't throw away the gift, did you?" He was still dancing randomly, even some people who passed by in the pavement started to stare. She shook her head as an answer.

Austin suddenly had a mischievous smile on his face. "And," he extended the 'and' quite longly, "she said she wanted to thank _you_ for changing her mind? Want to tell me something about that?" Ally only gave him a sheepish smile. "Welll...I might've gone over to her house and had a talk with her." She did not actually think the talk was going to work, she didn't even plan it, it was all spontaneous.

What he did afterwards really send adrenaline flowing through her veins rapidly. Austin stopped his happy dancing and ran towards her for a hug that was so tight and deadly, yet very nice in Ally's opinion. He let go of the hug but still kept his hands in both her shoulders. "Thank you," he said as he kissed her left cheek, "Thank you," he said again as he kissed her forehead then another 'thank you' as he kissed her right cheek. If she was compared about how red she was with a tomato, she would win big time.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards his home. "Come on, help me get ready."

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"There." She announced as she smoothen out his shirt on his chest from wrinkles and she couldn't help but noticed his abs that were under his shirt. She could feel them just fine as she was smoothing wrinkles.

"Do I look good?" He asked with full anxiety. Yes, Austin had been on dates with Cassidy but the upcoming one seemed to put him on pressure. Austin was wearing a striped shirt underneath a grey hoodie. Then black jeans with the usual metal chain hanging on its side. Ally had to be honest, he looked really good. Too good.

"Yes, and stop worrying." Ally walked over to the gift that was on his bed and handed it to him. "Here. You're going to do great." Ally convinced him.

Austin went over to his mirror and began messing up his hair, then brushing it up again and did the same routine for ten minutes. Ally smiled at his nervousness but she couldn't help feeling sad.

All those years she had wished that he would be that nervous for _her. _Not for anyone else. Fate had other ways, she guessed.

"Good luck on your date. I...erm...I have to go." Her voice was starting to strain. She quickly left before he could say another word.

Austin watched her as she was walking towards his bedroom door and shut it tight, leaving him alone in her bedroom.

She had to leave before tears fall down her cheek whilst Austin was there. She couldn't fight the tears any longer. She finally let them come down in peace.

Why did she keep helping her best friend get the girl of his dreams while she suffered? Was it because she was just that nice of a person or was it because she was finally letting the fact be true that he was never going to love her back? She didn't know.

Running inside the house with a wet face from the tears would not be a good idea. Her mother would be worried and she would ask a billion questions. So the only place Ally could think of in such a short time was her old car.

She was not going anywhere. She just stayed in the driver's seat, sobbing. Twenty minutes had passed by when Ally saw Austin hopped into Cassidy's car for his date in her rear mirror.

Ally didn't want to go home just yet, so she shed her last tear – for the day – and managed to take a nap in her car, which was surprisingly comfortable.

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There was one thing she had learned after sleeping in her vintage car; it was to never sleep in there again. Ally was used to her alarm waking her up early and she just realized, that there was no alarm in her car, just a car horn.

That was exactly what Austin had used to wake her up, and Ally was not a single bit satisfied about it.

"Did you really have to do that?" She asked with annoyance as she stretch.

Austin opened her car door and sat on the passenger's seat beside her, still laughing from Ally's shocked expression when he woke her up. "Well, duh! Did you sleep here all night and not invite me?" He crossed his arms in his chest.

Her eyes went wide at her comprehension. "All night?!" She had slept in her car all night? That was very...unplanned.

"Apparently, since I found you this morning snoring in here." He smirked cutely and she punched his arm as he winced in fake pain.

Still not quite believing everything, she squinted her eyes and looked at him with suspicion. "Why didn't you wake me up last night?" Laughter went out of his mouth. "Of course, Ally. Because I check your car every night to see if you're sleeping here." She punched him one again for his sarcasm, this time in his chest.

She covered her face with her hands as she murmured, "How was last night?"

Austin let out a dreamy sigh as he leaned on the seat. "Wonderful. I wish people could feel as wonderful as I felt last night." Ally looked down towards the gas pedal because she didn't want him to see the disappointment in her eyes.

"Ally, why don't you go out with the guy you like? You know, the one you mentioned the other day."

Of course, Ally appreciated the fact that he was trying to get her to be as happy as he was, being in love and everything. But, she was also a bit upset that after all these years, he never cared to notice of all the nice things she had done for him as signs for her feelings.

"Actually,'' She would regret it soon, "I am going out with him today." She mentally scolded herself.

A hint of jealousy was clear on Austin's face. "Oh." It wasn't that he was jealous, but he was quite disturbed because she had never spoken of this 'guy' before but only now, she had bothered to tell him about the guy? He had poured out his feelings for Cassidy to Ally but she never wanted to tell him about her crush? It wasn't fair.

She hated lying to him. She never meant to fake up a guy who Austin thought she was in love with when really, it was him. She was just groggy, or so she thought.

"I...I have to go and...get ready." Ally opened her car door and started running towards her house.

Ally decided it was for the best to stay in her room until night time, so Austin wouldn't be suspicious that she had made all these up. And in all honesty, it worked just fine.

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It had been two days since Austin and Ally spoke last spoken to each other. They weren't fighting or anything, but Austin had spend all his time with Cassidy since he thought that Ally was spending time with her new 'boyfriend'. Ally couldn't blame him though, it was all her fault.

But that didn't stop her from being angry. Austin didn't even call once. As a best friend, they had never, ever had one day without talking or seeing each other. Even on holidays, their family go on vacations together, that was how close they were.

That was why, the sudden distance between them was driving Ally insane and angry.

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**I know that I wrote this story more on Ally's side, but I just want the reader to feel Ally's pain...and also, I hate writing about Austin & Cassidy's relationship because I am an Auslly shipper. But I will write about them more on the upcoming chapters :)**

**Tell me what you think by reviewing, following or favouriting :D **


	10. I Love Her, Not You

**Thumbs up for all the reviews, whether they are from guests or accounts from this website. They brighten up my day :D **

**Now, I am not that confident with writing sad stories but I hope the sadness of this chapter is fine, just like what I expected.**

**Enjoy :)**

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Chapter 10; I Love Her, Not You.

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Ally was delightful when Nelson, her neighbour, had called her to cancel his piano lesson because he had a doctor's appointment. Don't get her wrong, Ally loved teaching kids how to play instruments but she wasn't feeling the spirit that day. All she wanted to do was stay in her room and do typical Ally stuff; read books, play piano and write songs and feelings into her off-limit book.

But, something or _someone_ just had to ruin her plans.

He knocked on her bedroom door enthusiastically with a wide grin on his face but that quickly vanished when Ally didn't look up from her book.

"Good morning, Ally." Austin approached her. She was sitting on her desk with her eyes glued to a book he couldn't recognize.

"Morning." She grumpily greeted back.

So maybe it was the morning and nobody was really a morning kind of person, but Austin certainly did not like Ally's attitude at the time.

"Shouldn't you be at Nelson's?" He asked, trying to start a conversation and get rid of the uneasy air around them.

She still didn't look up to him, "It's cancelled." Her reply was so monotone and grumpy, he didn't like it at all. "What're you doing here?"

Austin felt as if his best friend had not want his presence at the room. It made his blood boil in anger. "I need to talk to you." He managed to keep his cool, not wanting to burst at her, she could be fragile at times.

"Ally, are you mad at me?"

She eventually looked up at him with a fake smile curved at her lips. "No, why would I ever be mad at my best friend? Is there something I should be mad at you about?"

He didn't believe any of her words for one second. "So what's up with you?" His tone slightly bitter.

"I just have a lot in my mind right now." Ally sighed. She gazed back down to her book, not actually reading it, just trying to avoiding looking at her best friend.

He crossed his arms, "Oh, so you decided to put it on me? Okay, well, I came here to my best friend to tell her some good news but I guess she doesn't want to support me." He turned on his heel and was about to leave when Ally blocked his way out.

"Don't you ever say that I don't support you." She glared at him with anger in her eyes. She couldn't believe him. Ally took a step forward as he took a step back. "I support you through everything! I use my spare time to help you with your date, for Cassidy. For everything! And now you're telling me I don't support you?!" She snapped at him, not exactly shouting, she didn't want her mother to hear their argument.

"If you didn't want to help and support me, you could've just said so! I could have found someone else to be my best friend." He said, as soon as the words leave his mouth, he regretted they ever did. "No Ally I-"

"It's fine. I am sorry." She spoke, cutting him off from his apology. "I am sorry I was acting like this. I am just a bit stressed out that's all."

Ally took a seat on her pink sofa she had in her room as he did the same. "No, I am sorry. I didn't mean to say what I said." She nodded and took a breath. "Let's not argue like that again."

They had been best friends for so long and they never argued once, they always manage get along.

She got a grip out of herself, "so, what's the good news?"

He smiled and took something out of his pocket and handed it to her to examine. It was a heart-shaped locket and at the back of it, were the words _Forever & Always _engraved on it. "That's for Cassidy. I want to give it to her when I tell her I love her."

Her heart sank so deep she thought she died. He loved Cassidy, just as she predicted, but it hurt so much more when he claimed it himself.

Ally didn't have the concern to fight the tears that were flooding in her eyes, she let them slide down her face. She sniffed from her sobs as Austin put his arm over her shoulder and she cried in his chest, leaving stains of water from her eyes on his shirt.

"Wha-what's wrong, Ally?" He was utterly confused.

"You're lucky to find someone you could love so much with all your heart." Ally wiped the tears with her hands but they never stopped streaming down her face. "I wish I could find someone who loves me the way you love her." She mumbled in his chest.

He moved his hands from her shoulder to her hair, to sooth it out in comfort. He still didn't say anything, he didn't know what to say. "You know the guy I told you about?" She could feel Austin nod so she pursued, "I love him. So much. But he doesn't feel the same way. He's in love with someone else." She was sobbing again. "I feel like I lost all the hope for love."

Austin stayed silent while she cried on his shirt, which he didn't mind. He wanted to give 'the guy' a piece of his mind, maybe punch him for hurting his best friend, not fathoming that the person Ally was referring to, was him.

"Ally-" but he was cut off by the ringing of his phone.

"It's Cassidy. I have to go. You alright?" He stood up and Ally was already missing his warmth.

She nodded, "Go." Ally send him a weak, fake smile and with that, he left, leaving her alone in her room crying.

* * *

Austin was driving Cassidy's car because he offered, but his mind kept going back to Ally. He felt bad for her. He was always telling her about his love life and how lucky he was but he never thought Ally was so...lost in hope.

He remembered when they were little, Ally would always tell him how love was such a beautiful thing and he never listened. But as they grew older, it was him that got to experience the beauty of it while she was heartbroken. He hated the guy who broke her heart, he really did.

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't realized they reached their destination. Cassidy's house. He could've just walked over to her house but she insisted on picking him up.

She went over to her garden to admire the beauty of it. Austin grabbed her hand so that she could face him. He noticed how paler she had gotten, day by day but still looked beautiful.

"Turn around, I want to give you something." Cassidy did as she was told and Austin put the locket around her neck from the back and she shivered at the coldness of the metal. Her hands flew up to her neck to touch the locket.

"It's beautiful. Thank you." She hugged him for a moment before reading the engraved words at the back of the locket. "_Forever & Always?_"

He took a step closer to her and lift her chin up so she was face to face with him. "Yeah. It means I will love you, forever and always." She smiled at him when she realized he had told her that he loved her.

Cassidy looked down at her shoes, thinking. Which made Austin worried that she might not love him back. She finally looked up to him again and said, "I love you too. And I want to spend my last days with you." She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him for the longest time as he kissed the top of her head.

* * *

Ally decided to stop crying and take a walk outside. She had spend the last hour just crying her eyes out.

The sky was grey that day. It was as if, the sky wanted to match Ally's feelings. She had a feeling it was going to rain soon.

She chose to go to the park, she didn't want to go to the tree house because it reminded her so much of Austin. She wanted to get rid of all Austin thoughts in her mind.

The park was surprisingly empty. There were only a couple of people sitting on the benches or canoeing on the lake. Ally was glad though, not many people could see her at the current state.

She walked over to the lake and just stare at the blue water. She could see her reflection in the water, and she was not surprised to see how bad she looked at the moment. Puffy eyes and red nose. It was terrible. Ally also noticed how sad she looked, and if she were somebody else looking at her, she would be very sympathetic.

Ally didn't know how long she was just staring at the water but when she looked at the park, it was starting to get packed with people. So she decided to leave and go back home.

What she saw when she was back in her neighbourhood were two figures she vaguely remembered. They were at Austin's porch, so Ally knew well that they were Austin and Cassidy.

She watched them, feeling her heart slowly breaking every minute. Light drizzle dropped down from the sky, representing Ally's tears that she was fighting hard not to fall.

Austin was looking at the pretty girl in front of him with a smile he couldn't get rid off of his face. He started leaning in when a rain drop fell on both of their faces. But nothing was going to stop him from kissing Cassidy, he couldn't fight the urge anymore. So he crashed his lips onto hers. She kissed him back in no time.

Ally's breath hitched and she turned around so she couldn't see the sight of the couple. Instead of running towards her home, she ran towards the hill, choking between her sobs. The rain was starting to get heavy but she didn't care.

The two people couldn't be happier that they got to kiss in the rain, like those old movies.

He finally let go of the kiss and smiled but it quickly disappeared when he saw a red stain on Cassidy's lips. He touched his own lips with his fingers and saw there was the red stain on his fingers.

"Oh, sorry I got my lipstick on your lips." Cassidy apologized. He looked at her lips and he was aware that she did not wear lipstick.

Austin shook his head, "that's not lipstick. Cassidy, that's not lipstick!" He was then apprehending what it was. Blood.

Suddenly, she was coughing violently and she covered her mouth with her hand. When she let go, her hand was full of blood, like she had just dipped her hand in red paint.

Without a second thought, he pulled her into her car and drove her to the hospital.

Ally was on top of the hill, just crying in the rain like she had never cried before. She couldn't even identify whether the water on her face were her tears or the rain, but she didn't care.

She hated what her life had become. A sad, sorrowful life. She didn't plan for this. She wasn't ready to live in a world where she would suffer like this. She mentally scolded herself for ever thinking that her life would be rainbows and gumdrops. She hated herself for ever thinking that she was going to live happily ever after with the boy she'd ever loved, Austin, her own best friend.

As her tears finally die down, not completely stopping, she stood up and was about to leave when she slipped from a puddle she had not seen earlier from all the water in her eyes. To make it worse, she chose to wear her ankle boots with heels that particular day.

Her body rolled over the hill until she stopped and hit a log with a sharp twig. She wished she would just die or black out, but she was still awake, blood streaming down on her leg that was cut deep by the twig. The blood had come out so much that it was starting to make a puddle, mixing with the rain water. She screamed in pain for so long that she couldn't even scream anymore.

The heavy raindrops blurred her vision and she thought she was going to die, and deep down, she was fine with it.

* * *

**I don't know if I wrote the description of Ally's accident that well. But I hope you all think otherwise **

**Tell me what you think :D **


	11. You're Stronger Than You Look

**I can't thank all of you readers for the awesome reviews for the last chapter. They're awesome just like you!**

**- I've been getting questions asking me if this is an Auslly story. I honestly don't know. Ally does like Austin when he doesn't really return the feelings. But let's just say that this story is a _different _kind of Austin & Ally story. I know people always want happy stories (myself too) but I want to practice my writing and maybe change a little bit and write a sad story. **

**Anyway, enough chitchat and enjoy this chapter ~**

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Chapter 11; You're Stronger Than You Look.

* * *

Cassidy was lying on the hospital bed in the emergency room. Austin was getting impatient as to why hadn't the doctors arrive to take care of her. He was in horror, he wasn't ready to see the girl he loved, die right in front of him. He wished that this was all a dream and he would wake up in his comfortable bed. But no, this was real. As real as it could get.

"It's going to be okay, Cassidy." He assured her, but even he knew that he was reassuring himself.

She was still coughing vigorously as he was shouting at the nurses to bring her up to a much better, comfortable room. He was interrupted by another patient who was also, possibly, in much more pain than Cassidy.

The other patient that was brought to the emergency room was crying in pain. The weird thing was, he heard that scream before. He let the thought pass and tried to focus on the coughing girl in front of him. Until the other patient shouted his name.

He turned around, expecting to see someone else named Austin that was with the patient. No, the patient had to be Ally.

Austin ran over to her bed and quickly cringed at the sight of blood on her legs. Both legs were fully covered in blood, but only one of her legs had a huge whole in it.

"Ally. Ally. Wha-what..." he stuttered, he couldn't apprehend what was happening. "What happened?"

She didn't answer, all that came out of her mouth were painful screams.

He saw Cassidy's bed being dragged by nurses out of the emergency room and he was in a dilemma between choosing who he should stay with.

"I'll be there in your room. I just need to go over to Cassidy."

* * *

He looked at the girl sleeping peacefully with all kinds of machinery attached to her. She didn't look like the girl he met at the library a few weeks ago. She was pale, her lips had no colour and the only colour in her body was from her hair.

Her eyes opened revealing her blue eyes that gave colour to her face. She saw the sight of the blonde boy and smiled, very weakly.

"Hey." Cassidy hung her hand on the edge of the bed. He held it tightly, never wanting to let go.

"H-hi." He let out a smile, a sad one.

He wanted to cry. The most important girls in his life were both in the same hospital with unknown information if they were going to survive. Ally, however, seemed to have much more possibility than the girl he held hands with.

He closed his eyes tight, trying to get away from reality. He ended up sleeping and when he woke up, he found himself sleeping in the hospital chair, next to Cassidy's bed. Still hand in hand. Cassidy was sleeping again, but with an oxygen mask attached to her then.

Austin stood up and let go of her hand. He exited the room and went straight to the hospital reception.

"Ally Dawson?" He asked the receptionist, agitated.

"Room 229. Go straight and turn left, the second room after the turn." She gestured him with her hand. He thanked her and without wasting anymore time, speed walked to the room.

She was in bed, staring at the ceiling, while her mother was telling her how important it was for her to eat. Ally didn't want to eat, she didn't have the appetite. Her mouth felt...tasteless and numb. She hadn't spoken or eaten since the accident.

The door squeaked a little as Austin opened it. She was happy to finally see him since yesterday but was still upset that he had chosen to stay with Cassidy instead of her. It hurt, pained her even more than her leg already did.

Penny stood up from her chair. "She doesn't want to eat. Maybe if you tell her to, she might want to." She whispered to the tall boy. Ally pretended she hadn't heard.

"I'll leave you two alone. I'll be outside if you need me." Penny excused herself.

He sat at the chair Penny had previously sat on and took the bowl of soup. "Come on, Als. You need to eat." He pleaded. "It's chicken noodle soup, your favourite." Usually, the persuasion would've worked.

"Why aren't you with Cassidy?" Ally asked instead.

Austin sighed, "She's asleep. I want to see if you're alright." He put the bowl down, comprehending that she wasn't going to eat anytime soon.

He looked at her. She wasn't as pale as Cassidy, but he could see she had been crying from the swell in her eyes. Her legs were covered in a blanket and once or twice, she would wince in misery every time she tried to move.

They suddenly lack in conversations and stayed silent for a while. He was feeling so blue, the girl he loved was dying while his best friend was getting unhealthy and was in agony.

"The doctor had said..." She began to say, with tears slowly falling from her brown eyes, "that my leg needs to be amputated."

Austin took a second or two to grasp every word that his best friend had just uttered. When they finally sink in, he felt tears coming down his cheek.

He could hear sniffs from the sobbing from Ally. "Austin...I don't want to." She wiped the tears from her face with her hand. "I can't imagine my life without a leg. I won't be able to climb the tree house. I won't be able to talk a walk around the park. I won't..." She stopped to choke between her sobs. "I can't do it, Austin."

His hand grabbed hers and held it gently. She tried to ignore it, but the electricity was there when he touched her hand. "Ally, your life will be different without a leg, yes. But you can do it. You're strong."

She tighten her grip. His hand was warm and comforting. "You know, Ally, I have always envied you." She looked at him, her eyes still looking glassy but they held confusion. "You were always so strong. You were willing to do anything." He lectured her.

Ally didn't say a word. She had a hard look on her face. Her eyes were dry because no more tears could come out, she had been crying too much.

"Now will you please eat?" Austin tried again. Even he was tempted to eat the soup himself, he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. At the end, he took a spoonful of the food and felt guilty. "Sorry, Ally. I was starving."

She chuckled sadly. "It's okay. Can you please just finish the soup so my mum would think I ate it?"

He gave her a look that meant; _are you kidding me?_ And she mouthed the word _please _with pleading eyes. He finally gave in and finished the bowl of chicken noodle soup.

Ally stared at the ceiling again, her expression turned to sadness. "You should go to Cassidy. She needs you."

Austin hesitated. He knew Cassidy needed him, but so did his best friend. "Ally-"

"Just go. I am fine."

* * *

When he was back in Cassidy's room, he noticed that she was accompanied by someone else. It was her father. "Good afternoon, Mr. Gray." He greeted. Austin had met him once, he was a business man and a single parent. Austin never asked about her mother since he thought it wasn't his business at all.

"Good afternoon, Austin. Do you mind if I talk to you outside for a minute?" Mr. Gray asked.

"Of course not." He walked outside the room at the same time as the older man.

He didn't understand why, but Austin was nervous. Was Mr. Gray going to tell him to leave Cassidy alone or maybe he hated him or something?

Mr. Gray cleared his throat. "I want to thank you for bringing Cassidy here as soon as possible." He looked tired, possibly from all the busyness of his job and taking care of his sick daughter.

"No problem sir." Austin managed to say.

"When did she start coughing blood?" He questioned him, he looked very worried and unrelaxed yet, very calm.

Austin thought about his question for a moment. "After we ki-" he stopped. Saying that they were kissing didn't sound like the most appropriate thing. "I mean, we were hanging out when she started to cough violently and blood came out." Austin nodded at his own answer, relieved.

Cassidy's father nodded and sat on the hospital bench that were provided in every aisle of the hospital. Austin decided to join and they were set in an uncomfortable silence until a man with a white coat approached them.

"Good afternoon. I am Doctor John. Could you follow me to my office, please?" The doctor gestured them to follow him as they both nodded.

They entered the room and Austin automatically disliked it. The room was painted white and it had the smell white roses that was so strong. There were posters that Austin couldn't understand stuck to the wall and the air around them felt uneasy and gloomy.

Doctor John sat at the back of the office desk whilst Mr. Gray and Austin sat on the two seats provided in front of the desk.

"This is very difficult for me to say but as you both know, Cassidy is getting worse and worse." The doctor began, looking very guilty that he had to tell them both the bad news.

Mr. Gray looked down to his shoes, trying to hide his distress. Austin had the similar expression on his face.

"Also, the medicines that she was given, was not meant to make her completely healthy again. It was given to get rid of the pain, not the illness." Doctor explained. "The only way for her to live is if she gets a heart donour. Now unfortunately, we can only do that if they have the same blood type." He finished.

Austin knew that Mr. Gray would donate his heart for Cassidy in a heart beat if he could.

"How long can she live?" Her father asked.

Doctor John seemed to find difficulty to say the next statement. "A few days maximum."

"Thank you, Doctor." Mr. Gray managed to say and they both stood up to leave the room.

Cassidy was awake when they reached her room. "Hey Daddy. Hey Austin." She acknowledged them very weakly.

Her father paced over to her bed and stroked her hair smoothly. Austin felt bad for Mr. Gray. When Cassidy dies, which was very likely, he would be alone. No daughter and no wife. Austin couldn't imagine living in such situation.

The older man turned around to look at Austin who was sitting on the chair nearby. "Austin. You should go home. You need a rest."

He was about to protest when Cassidy agreed with her father. "Yes, please. You can come back tomorrow."

What if there wouldn't be a tomorrow for her? He wanted to stay with her before she was gone for good. He didn't want to leave her. He wanted to stay as long as possible. But he couldn't hide the fact that he was dead tired. There were eye bags under his hazel eyes.

Austin nodded as his response and turned the doorknob to leave, just before, he turned around and took a glance at the girl in bed, who he might not see again for the rest of his life.

* * *

**Um, I know nothing about heart donours so I just came up with that statement so please forgive me if it was wrong. **

**Thanks for reading and keep waiting for the upcoming chapters :)**


	12. A Confession In Your Sleep

**Thanks for all the reviews :)**

**I've been told by an anonymous reviewer about the heart transfer and stuff and how my information was wrong. I honestly appreciate that. Thank you. But you know, I am only fourteen and young so I guess it's a lesson for me to take :) You learn from your mistakes right? I know what I wrote in my story was made up and it was wrong and I am ashamed u_u But I am already this far in the story and I can't just end it just because of my mistake. Besides, there's only a couple more chapters to go and I don't want to disappoint the people who have enjoyed reading my story. I am truly sorry for the wrong information, I apologize with all my heart.**

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Chapter 12; A Confession In Your Sleep.

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As soon as he stepped into his room, the bed was the only thing he was focusing on. He flopped on his bed in no time and close his eyes tight.

_He was in the grave yard. Everyone was wearing black. Ally was there next to him, comforting him with words he couldn't understand. Everyone was crying. Mr. Gray was there, kneeling down on the grave and sobbing. _

_People were whispering quietly, Ally was still talking to him. But he couldn't hear them. It was like they were all in water and nobody could hear what the other was saying. _

_He could only focus on one thing, the headstone. And the name that was written there. _

_Cassidy Gray_

_19 August 1995 – 22 May 2012 _

He woke up with cold sweat. He was breathing heavily. The dream felt so real. It was exactly what he had not wanted. He needed to talk to someone, and fast.

The first room he went to when he reached the hospital was Cassidy's room. But the sight of her was not what he wanted to see. She wasn't awake, but not dead as he looked at the heart rate monitor. He sighed in relieved. But this time, she had more machines attached to her. Like she was some kind of robot.

So, he went to room 229 but also found Ally sleeping. Mrs. Dawson wasn't there either so he decided that he could just talk to Ally while she was asleep. He just need to get things out of his chest.

Austin grabbed her hand gently, so he wouldn't wake her up and held it with his two hands.

"Ally..." He started. If people were looking at him at that moment, they would think he was stupid for talking to a sleeping patient. But heck, like he cared.

"I know you can't hear me right now but I just need to talk to someone. I told you I always need you." He chuckled sadly. "Cassidy. She's...dying. Yeah, you probably already know that."

He could feel his eyes getting slightly heavy from the tears flooding in his eyes. "She needs a heart transfer. But to find a heart perfect for her, it's hard. So there's no chance she could live."

Tears fell from his eyes directly to his and Ally's hand. "I just," he stopped to sniff and think about his words, "I just don't know if I could survive without her presence in my life, Ally."

"I know I am being overly dramatic but without her, I feel like I lost a part of me." Austin let go of her hand to wipe his tears away.

He stood up and kissed Ally's forehead with his soft, warm lips.

Suddenly, the door was opened by Penny. "Oh, Austin. I didn't know you were here."

"It's okay. I was just about to leave." He assured her and left and took one last look at Ally.

What he wished he knew was that his best friend heard every word he said.

* * *

It had been two days since both Cassidy and Ally were in the hospital and no news regarding both of them. He would come to the hospital in the morning or afternoon but Mr. Gray and Mrs. Dawson had always tell him to just stay home and rest.

Even his mother told him to stay at home and wait until Ally was done with her amputation. But he was impatient. He had to see both of them.

In those two days, he had never seen Cassidy awake once, but she wasn't actually dead, yet.

He sat next to Mr. Gray in the hospital bench. The older man didn't let him go inside the room. Austin had actually wanted to go to Ally first, but the nurses had told him that he wasn't suppose to see her. It made him confused and angry. She was his best friend, they couldn't tell him what to do! He thought Penny would tell the nurses that he was an exceptional, but she just stayed silent and avoid his eye contact. So he decided that he should just wait for Cassidy. But waiting for her hurt him, because he knew that she wouldn't be around for long.

When boredom shoot him, Austin would walk around the corridor and peak at the patients from the window. Some patients would wave at him or simply smile. Others would shoo him away or shot him dead glares.

Some doctors and nurses were getting used to Austin coming to the hospital. They would try cheering him up, even if he wasn't the one sick. They would ask him questions regarding school or his hobby but that was it. The conversations were always dull and it seemed so forced.

He would try to make conversations with Mr. Gray. But sometimes he wouldn't answer or he would just give Austin a smile. So he concluded that he should just drop the conversation and let it stay how it was before. Silence.

Doctor John would come and tell them both how Cassidy was doing. But to Austin, they were all very unnecessary. He knew Doctor John was just trying to clarify them, but there wasn't any good news. The information given to them were always bad and would bring their moods even downer than before.

But what got Austin really worried was that there was no news regarding Ally's amputation at all. He deserved to know.

It was midnight and he thought it was too late anyway to go home so he just made the bench as comfortable as it could get and sleep there. It wasn't the coziest place in the world, but he was just glad he got to rest after a day of sadness and worry.

He was woken up by nothing. He had woken up by himself. He flickered his sleepy eyes open, revealing an empty hospital corridor. He was used to it though, it was always empty and creepy.

Austin realized it was around nine o' clock in the morning as he saw the sun from the window. He looked around and saw that Mr. Gray was talking to Doctor John. All of the sudden, all the feelings he had tried to forget came back.

He waited patiently until the two adults stopped talking but instead, they called him to join in their conversation. He walked over, preparing for the worst.

But, they didn't tell him anything. They had told him to go inside Cassidy's room. Did they want him to see her dead? Did they want him to speak to her before her death?

What he catch a sight of when he entered the room was definitely not what he had expected at all.

Cassidy was there, smiling at him and motioning him to come closer to her. He blinked a few times to make sure it wasn't a dream. He even told Mr. Gray to pinch him to wake him up from his crazy dream. No, this was real.

He didn't say anything. He was still in shock. He thought she was dead. He couldn't find the words to explain his situation. Austin was most happy to see her again, she was pale like he remembered. But he was more than confused.

"I got a heart donour."

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**Tell me what you think by reviewing, favouriting or following :D**

**Once again, I truly apologize for the wrong information in my story towards the illness. **


	13. The Truth Reveals

**The last chapter! And I apologize if you don't like this chapter :( Oh, and the reviews are great! Thank you.**

**Enjoy ~**

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Part 3; Chapter 13; The Truth Reveals

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Austin stands in front of his mirror, wishing that he is looking at someone else. The boy he's looking at is worn out, as if he hasn't got any sleep for years. His eyes holds woe. He wears full black attire. He hates the colour, it posses mystery and grief.

The birds are singing joyfully. But he wishes they can understand how bad the timing really is.

There are no signs of people about in the streets. It is like, he is the only person left in the world. Maybe it's an exaggeration, maybe not. He knows where people are. It's a place where he should be as well. But he doesn't want to go, not just yet. Austin doesn't want to believe it's happening, this is only just a nightmare.

He wants to be alone for a while. To grasp everything in its place.

When he hears a sound of a clicking doorknob, he fathoms that it is his queue to leave.

* * *

Every steps he takes becomes heavier and heavier as he gets closer to the graveyard. But he is relieved to find it abandoned.

He had this dream before. It was exactly like this. Except this time, he is alone. Only accompanied by the suffocating air surrounding him.

People say they understand what he is going through. But he damn apprehends that they don't. Nobody does.

He extends his cold, shaky hand to feel the head stone as he kneels. He feels the engraved words in the stone. He wishes with all his will that it isn't her name. He hopes that it is his name written there. Anyone else but her.

_Allyson Dawson _

_29 November 1995 – 24 May 2012_

If he can, he would dig the six feet deep earth that buries her so he can hug her again. Feel her touch again.

Austin's there for who knows how long until someone says his name. He turns around, the find the woman he most feels sorry for.

He stands up and is face to face with one of the strongest people he knows. Penny Dawson. No husband, no daughter. Just herself. He salutes her for taking things with ease. Austin wishes he could be as strong as her, but he couldn't.

"Austin." She calls him and he doesn't know what goes through his mind, but he hugs her, tightly in sympathy. It feels like hugging his best friend again, it's almost the same, but it's not.

Penny let Austin go of their embrace. "She wrote this for you before she left." was all she said. He doesn't say anything. He feels as if he lost the ability to speak. He nods and leaves, taking one last look at his best friend's grave.

* * *

Austin's hands are trembling as he tries to open the envelope. In front of it, the words _For Austin _was written beautifully in cursive. He takes a long deep breath before unfolding the letter.

_"Dear Austin,_

_When you read this letter, I won't be there next to you. But that's okay because you're always so strong. The strongest person I've ever known. _

_I want to thank you for being my best friend all these years. You were the greatest best friend anyone could ask for, and I shall consider myself the luckiest girl in the world. I thank God for giving you, to me. _

_Maybe you hate me right now. Maybe you don't. I can understand why you would though. I would've hate me, too. _

_It took me all the courage I could find to tell you this but, I love you. Please don't mistaken this statement as love for a best friend. No,I love you. I always have and I always will. Unfortunately, I can't make you love me the way I love you. That's why I decided to donour my heart to Cassidy, the girl you love. That way, I can still love you with all my heart, even if I am not really there with you. _

_I don't want to live because I know I would have to watch you grief over her. You will never be happy. You would lose the girl you love so much. It would be even more painful to watch you mourn, without my leg._

_Please be happy for me. Your smile means everything._

_I love you, Austin. Forever and Always."_

He drops the letter to the ground. His hand shaking as tears were streaming down his face. He is shocked to find that he still have some tears left in him.

Austin leans his back against the tree. He doesn't have the courage to go up the tree house, because no one can tell him to come down with encouraging words like she did.

He runs a hand through his hair in anger. He reads the letter again and again until he comprehends every word in the passage. His tears run down from his cheek to the paper, the ink in the words, slowly dissolving with the water.

Suddenly, he feels something on his back. He looks at it as his hands glide through the carved words on the tree.

_"Are you going to climb up here?" Austin asked his best friend, Ally, that was still on the ground doing only God knew what- instead of being up with him inside the tree house they had built together, approximately three years ago._

_"Hold your horses!" Ally answered, rather oblivious to the fact that Austin had waited thirty minutes for her up in the tree house yet she still didn't bother to climb up._

_"But Ally! You know how I get scared being alone in this tree house!"_

_Ally smirked and laughed. "Oh yes, I do know that. Maybe if you didn't keep pleading, I would be there with you right now."_

_He couldn't take it anymore (he wasn't born with patience), so he searched for whatever he could find in their tree house that could be useful for his spontaneous plan. After he finally found what he was looking for, he aimed for his best friend's little head and-_

_"Ouch!" Ally yelled, feeling infuriated while Austin felt proud for aiming so perfectly, too perfect._

The flashback still fresh in his mind. She had done this carved words.

_Austin + Ally _framed with a heart. The words are slightly unclear from the moss that have grown all these years.

He wants to scream. He is angry, at himself.

He was the reason why she had shed those tears. He was the guy he wanted to give a piece of his mind. Everything makes sense, but it's all too late. He wishes time would go back and everything will be normal, happy like it was. He wants to see her again and tell her that he loves her too.

* * *

**You guys probably hate me because it is not a happy ending but overall, I am quite pleased with this story. Oh and I am not an Austin & Cassidy shipper ok **


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